President Iohannis visits 'Step by Step' alternative education school, effortlessly interacts with children

President Klaus Iohannis visited the 'Step by Step' alternative education school in Bucharest this Saturday, on the International Children's Day; the students presented him with a cat made from recyclable materials. Iohannis said he very much liked the open and outspoken way of the children who learn at this education unit. "Let me start by congratulating you on the various occasions at hand. I came here today to visit your school, 'Step by Step'; the children proved to be very skilled guides, we had discussions in several classes, they showed me their workshops, they told me how lessons unfold and then I had a little more hands-on conversation with the school management. I am very impressed with the way they work in this school, I very much like the way the children react, they are very open, highly communicative, and they are also great artists," the President said after seeing the exhibition of items crafted by the students from recyclable materials. He also congratulated the parents who had the courage to enroll their children at a school with an approach that is slightly different from the beaten path. "I also congratulate the parents, the parents who are here today, let me congratulate you for having had the courage and the openness to come with your children to this school that has a slightly different approach, but whose results I find very good, remarkable, and this method is worth trying in many other schools in Romania. About the materials you worked with, dear children, you explained to me that they are recyclable, that you brought them from home and it seems to me you did a great job with them. I think this also mirrors your and your parents' concern for nature, for the Earth, and I congratulate you on this too. The Earth belongs to all of us and we must take care of it," Iohannis said. The head of the state offered each child a badge with the tricolor banner, like the one he wore on his lapel. The children offered the President a cat they made with their own hands from recyclable materials. Iohannis took photos with the kids, shook hands with them and offered them autographs on the books he authored. The 'Step by Step' school uses an alternative education method which complies with the curriculum of the Ministry of National Education, but the children don't get homework and are not pushed to compete with one another, in order to avoid negative psychological effects; the students are continuously assessed according to their individual capacity. AGERPRES (RO - author: Dana Piciu, editor: George Onea; EN - author/editor: Simona Klodnischi)